pre-lab

Pre-labs are available for you through Dr. Wood’s website to print, complete and turn in at the beginning of the lab each week. Each pre-lab is titled according to the corresponding experiment, so make sure you have printed and done the correct pre-lab for each week’s experiment. Pre-labs for each experiment consists of about 2-3 questions pertaining to the experiment you will do for that week. Questions may consist of a combination of definitions, explanation of concepts, and/or calculations. The pre-lab questions may not allow much space for you to answer them directly on the page itself, so check with your TA to see if they will allow you to answer the questions on a separate page, if needed.

Answers to pre-lab questions can often be found within the short reading or theory portion of your lab manual for each experiment. Furthermore, the corresponding YouTube video for each lab experiment will usually contain most, if not, all answers to the pre-lab and post-lab questions. Search engines such as Google, can also be used to find answers and/or definitions. It is highly advised that you answer these questions thoroughly and completely in your own words to demonstrate your understanding. Calculations must be shown step-by-step for credit with correct unit measurements and significant figures shown, if applicable. Make sure to read the entire question carefully and follow instructions, as some questions may have multiple parts to answer.

Remember, once your pre-lab is completed, you must turn it in at the beginning of lab. Your TA may not be lenient on late assignments, or may not accept the assignment at all if it is turned in late.